Training & Careers

Cleveland Police Supervisors Face Discipline In Deadly Pursuit

Twelve Cleveland police supervisors face disciplinary hearings for failing to control a deadly high-speed chase that resulted in the deaths of two unarmed suspects at an East Cleveland school.

Police Chief Michael McGrath said Tuesday that his office and the agency's Integrity Control Section have reviewed the supervisors' actions on Nov. 29 and determined that they violated the department's mission statement, standards of conduct, and several rules on vehicle pursuits, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The supervisors include a captain, lieutenant and 10 sergeants. All have been with the department since 1998 and one is a 28-year veteran. Other officers could also face disciplinary action, and 13 officers who used deadly force face possible criminal charges. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty is now completing that investigation, the agency announced last week. Those 13 officers would be subject to a departmental review following the criminal investigation.

The Cleveland Division of Police's internal review determined that 98 officers and 15 supervisors had some role in the pursuit. There were 322 officers on duty that night.

"Overall, the majority of officers and supervisors who were on duty during the pursuit on Nov. 29 followed policies and procedures," according to an April 24 statement by Chief McGrath. "However, the evidence presented by the committee indicates that there were infractions."

In February, the Ohio Attorney General said the pursuit revealed a "systematic failure" within the department. In March, the Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation of the department.

Following the 20-minute chase that involved 62 patrol vehicles, suspects Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams were killed in a hail of police gunfire. Some 137 rounds were fired at their Chevrolet Malibu.

Training & Careers

In an effort to increase the number of potential new recruits eligible to join the agency, the Dallas Police Department wants to eliminate the requirement that recruits complete 45 hours of college credit.

“There’s an increased potential for officers to be criminally liable for making a good-faith mistake,” said Terry Sult, the police chief in Hampton, Va. “We’re seeing a lot more media coverage of officers being prosecuted, and that weighs heavily on a lot of officers' hearts. ... That’s a stressor on whether I want to stay in this position or not.”

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Known by the initials TPC, the NRA’s Tactical Police Competition program was created to provide law enforcement agencies and their officers a cost effective way to expand their training opportunities in preparation for today’s challenging environment where officers must make split-second lifesaving decisions when dealing with violent situations in order to protect the communities they serve, the NRA says.

In a preliminary Illinois State Police investigation released late Tuesday, witness statements showed that the officer—who was responding to a shots-fired call— "gave the armed subject (Roberson) multiple verbal commands to drop the gun and get on the ground before ultimately discharging his weapon and striking the subject."

Nearly two decades after Columbine there shouldn't be any question as to what we as law enforcement should do in an active shooter situation. We have to respond as safely as possible, grab what we have with us, and stop the killing.